Leaders at the Bell with Steve Alain Lawrence, CIO at Balfour Capital Group, Jan 14, 2026

Steve Alain Lawrence, chief investment officer at Balfour Capital Group, discusses his bullish outlook on commodities and provides measured optimism for equity markets during this exchange floor interview. Lawrence stands by his earlier oil predictions, projecting crude could reach $70 per barrel within six to eight months while maintaining a downside target of $58. He frames current energy dynamics as a geopolitical war, citing new sanctions that impose 25% penalties on Iranian oil purchases and noting that Venezuelan refining capacity would take years to come online meaningfully. His firm monitors global risk through a network of over 350 wealth advisers worldwide, emphasizing capital preservation over aggressive gains.

On precious metals, Lawrence characterizes silver's recent move from the low seventies to around ninety dollars as extraordinary, with physical refineries already discounting the metal and potential for a run to one hundred dollars despite near-term volatility. He highlights silver's critical role in technology infrastructure from mobile devices to data centers, while also pointing to copper strength and anticipated consolidation among major commodity firms including a possible Glencore-Rio combination. Looking at broader markets, Lawrence expects the Dow to touch 50,000 driven by strong sentiment, though he advises strategic diversification including pharmaceutical rotation and alternatives like crypto potentially breaking through 100,000. He identifies the next 180 days as critical for global economies.